Paris - Day 2

Paris: 8:32pm, Tuesday
Singapore: 3:32am, Wednesday

This morning, I woke up very happy because I managed to sleep well. I think I drifted off in less than a minute after lying on the bed and I slept all the way through till 8.30am. Mom, on the other hand, seemed rather jealous because she was suffering from a jet lag and found herself waking up at 4am.

Notre-Dame at night

After breakfast, we walked to Notre-Dame de Paris, which is a cathedral which was first built in the 6th century. It underwent several reconstructions along the way and today, it retains its 1200s structure. it's very big and grand, and it's stained glass windows are a marvel. The painted windows depict stories and events from the Bible. I admire all the effort the people put into constructing their church.

Eiffel tower

Inside the Eiffel tower

The view from the highest viewing deck of the Eiffel tower

We visited the Eiffel Tower later in the morning. The weather was very good (not raining) and so we managed to take good photos of the tower. After queing up for a long time, we went up the tower in a lift. The 2nd level of the tower had the best view since it was not too high, and not too low. The highest point was all the way at the top. It was extremely cold up there and the winds were strong. It was nice feeling like I was at the top (somewhat) of the world.

A conversation I accidentally overheard;

A (A tall guy): I'm afraid of heights...
B: Then how did you get so tall?

Arc de Triumph

Let me introduce you to a guy. Now, please don't think too far. He lived centuries ago. He's Napolean, and no, not the one depicted in Animal Farm. This guy conquered many parts of Europe and Asia a long time ago. Today, we went to visit the Arch of Triumph, which was built under the command of Napolean. Napolean won many wars and was very powerful, but one day, he lost a war in Russia. He was exiled in St. Helena, Britain, and later died there. The Arch of Triumph was only completed after his death. After some time, his bones and ashes were taken back from Britain and passed under the Arch of Triumph. This arch brought about both shame and pride for the French. For example, the Fench wept when German soldiers marched under the Arch of Triumph and France fell to the Nazis.

Sorry I know this picture is of very bad quality. If you look carefully, you can see the spiral staircase that stretches all the way down. There's mom and dad looking up. I got a little dizzy climbing it.

We climbed all the way up to the top of the Arc of Triumph. It took a total of 284 steps and was 50m high. I was very fasinated by the view at the top because it revealed the artistic urban planning in Paris. The Arc of Triumph is in the centre and there are roads that stretch out from it to form something like a ferris wheel structure. There was a lot symmetry involved and the roads looked so well-planned. The roundabout area around the structure is rather messy because the cars are all over the place and there are no lane markings or traffic lights. I was quite terrified at first but I think the drivers are quite alert. I haven't witnessed any accidents so far. (edit: I finally witnessed one on the last day)

In the evening, we walked around a wealthy district, something like Singapore's Orchard road, or even better. Branded shops lined the stretch of road and most were very high-end. We walked around Louis Vuitton, which was super huge, like 10 times bigger than the ones in Singapore. There were some showrooms for cars, with brands such as Mercedes Benz and Peugot. The cars on display were very cool and rare. And today, I just found out that there are Mercedes bicycles.

My legs are acheing badly from walking the whole day. On an unrelated note, French food is nice. Oh and Mac Donalds isn't as rampant here as it is in Singapore. Now, I'll go have some food and rest.